| Description | These letters record parts delivered to Woolwich Dockyard for the repair of steam ships, dock yard equipment and the Smithery. They are referred to in many different ways – letters of advice, invoices and bills of lading.
Boulton Watt & Co. would send two “letters of advice” to Woolwich, informing the Storekeeper of what parts were being sent to fulfill a particular order or requirement. If the letters were sent from 13 London St., they were signed for Boulton Watt & Co. by James Brown; if the letters were sent from Soho they were signed for Boulton Watt & Co. by one of the clerks there. Usually the source of the order, for example “Order of the Honourable Robert Dundas, 1 Sep. 1835” would be noted on the left-hand side of the list of items. This appears to have been done at the request of the Receiver of Stores, John Williams, in Oct. 1832 – on the Carron’s letter of 24 Oct. being returned to London St. he wrote “Messrs. Boulton & Co. are requested to insert in all Bills of Lading the date of the authority of the Admiralty for supplying the articles or performing the work.” Note also Williams’ note on Meteor’s letter of 25 Jun. 1832 – “The above articles were delivered on board the vessel – contrary to the arrangement made with Mr. Brown. Every article must be delivered into the Dock Yard, or no notice will be taken of them.”
Once the items themselves arrived at Woolwich, the Storekeeper, Ambrose Keddell, or one of his deputies, George Eden, would sign and date both letters to show that the goods had been received at Woolwich. The duplicate letter was then posted back to London St., whether it had originated from Soho or from London St. in the first place.
On being filed at London St., the letters were docketed with the name of the vessel, the date of writing, the date the goods were received at Woolwich, and the source of the items. The source of the parts – Soho, the Pallas hulk, or external suppliers such as Boreham’s, Laver etc. was often noted in the bottom left-hand corner, sometimes by a single letter – B for Boreham’s, P for Pallas etc. Large runs of letters were also numbered. They were probably kept in yearly bundles, along with rough account sheets. The rough accounts were made out at Soho and usually covered only those items which had been sent from Soho. A bill was then made out in London Street and delivered for payment.
The list notes the date of writing, the date the goods received, if the letter was sent from Soho and which clerk signed it, and the number of the letter in square brackets.
Docketed as “Admiralty” rather than Woolwich Dock Yard. See also under Woolwich Dock Yard. |